This is Your Fight
by kellyQ
Summary: FINISHED! When Aichi is diagnosed with a brain tumor, he tries to make the best of it ... Aichi/Kai in later chapters!
1. Chapter 1

This is Your Fight

Chapter One

By KellyQ

Aichi slowly opened his unfocused blue eyes concluding that he was in the hospital by the smells and sounds; his vision was fuzzy and distorted as he looked around. He could hear worried voices behind the curtains, and he knew that it was his friends and his sister by the silhouettes. Emi was the first person to pull one of the curtains back to see that her brother was awake. Her cry of joy got everyone to stop their multiple conversations and focus on what distracted her from the pain that she was enduring five minutes ago.

"Aichi!" Emi threw herself in her brother's arm; her soft shoulder length sandy-colored hair tickled his face as they both fell back on the bed. Her pink cotton dress rippled with the movement. She buried her flushed heart shaped face in his chest.

Aichi's appearance was different than his sister, his azure hair hug like a bellflower and his long side hairs and bangs framed his face giving him the illusion of a young woman, and his blue eyes showed uncertainty, and he wore (at the moment) an oversize hospital gown.

The rest of the gang pulled the rest of the curtain back and looked relieved that Aichi was awake. He glanced at his group of friends as they formed a circle around the bed, until eyes fell upon Kai, a tall regal teen with dark-sandy hair was brushed back as the end of his hair spiked out. His green eyes held nothing. He had on his gray coat over his red shirt and dark pants with black shoes, standing behind the group.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Emi sobbed.

Aichi's expression softened as he hugged his little sister's trembling body close. "I'm going to be alright, Emi," he reassured rubbing her back soothingly.

"We're hoping that you are," Shin spoke up, a little worried about something. He was standing at the foot of the bed. Shin had dark-green hair that parted off to the side like a four-leaf-clover, and his triangle-shaped glass shined under the lights overhead. He wore his white shirt and dark-blue pants. "Emi has told us that you've been having headaches, falling, and your right leg has been numb," he exclaimed. "So I took the liberty to have you checked out. We should have the results in at any moment."

Aichi only nodded. He didn't know what caused him to faint or pass out, but he did note that he felt that he was having a headache, and everything around him was spinning. "I'm sorry that I caused you guys to worry. I don't know what happened before I got here."

Kamui walked up with concern on his face. "You gave us a big scare, bro!"

Kamui was standing on the right side of the bed. He was the shortest and the loudest to the group and Aichi's closest friend. Ever since they met, Kamui called him 'bro' knowing their feelings were the same about many things in life. Kamui had dark hair that stuck up as a crown that was pulled back in a low ponytail, his cherry-red eye (normally has determination) was showing worry and fear. He was wearing his usual ruby vest over his orange shirt, black collates and red tennis's.

Taishi couldn't help but chuckle, a frisky blond-haired teen with dark-green eyes, pink short-sleeve shirt over his dark-green shirt, dark pants. Taishi was also a long-term friend of Kai's. He stood next to him. "Especially, Kai! He was the first to notice that there was something wrong," he exclaimed, " so he called the ambulance, and they came right away."

Aichi stared at Kai for a good solid moment, trying to figure out if he did it out of decency or he did it because he just had to do it. "Thanks, Kai."

Footsteps right then reached their ears. They all turned their heads to see a young doctor walked in. He had short black hair, tan skin, emerald-green eyes, and his lab coat covered his uniform. He was looking at a chart that was in his right hand.

Kamui was the first to greet the doctor with concern. "He's going to be alright, isn't he, Doc?" The doctor sighed and checked the chart over again.

Everyone moved out of the way, as he made his way over to Aichi. The blue-haired teen was ready for the worst. Kai closed his eyes and walked out of the room with Taishi following close behind asking why he wanted to leave critical time.

"I have more important things to worry about then what's going with Aichi," Kai said, stopping in mid stride.

Taishi frowned. "That still doesn't give you the right to leave! What if it is something serious?"

Kai looked over his shoulder and gave his old friend a piercing look. "That's none your business." With that, he adverted his attention back to making his way out of the hospital.

Taishi sighed, turned around and made his way back to Aichi's room, before stepping into his room he overheard who he assumed was the doctor.

"_**Your test results don't look that good. You have a tumor in your brain that may not be removable." **_

Taishi's eyes widened with complete shock and horror including everyone else. Taishi turned and started to run all the way to the park where he found Kai lying down on the bench that was shaded by a tree.

Kai opened his eyes when Taishi's silhouette loomed over him. "What do you want?"

"You are the worst, you know that?"

Kai sighed with annoyance and sat up as Taishi sat next to him. "What's going on with Aichi?"

"If you stayed long enough, you would've found out that he has a brain tumor," Taishi explained.

Kai lowered his gaze. "I'll visit him later."

Taishi grinned. "Aichi would like that!"

Kai got up stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to walk through the park. His feet lead him to the cemetery. The grass was mowed and some of the tombstones had fresh flowers. One of the tombstones stood out among the rest of the description of: I'M SORRY, REN: R.I.P. The tombstone was put together with brass and copper giving it a glossy effect.

Kai closed his eyes, turned his head, and opened them again, looking at nothing in particular, remembering the last few months of Ren's life before his death.

* * *

After everyone left, Emi said that she was going to get some stuff from the house; Aichi sat there gazing down at his lap moving his finger in a circle.

"Are you awake?" came Kai's voice. He was standing on the other side of the currents, holding a duffel bag and a thick hardbound cover book called VANGUARD: ARISE MY AVATAR. Moments ago, Kai saw Emi making her way to the hospital. When she saw him, Emi asked Kai to take the stuff in her arms to Aichi. "I have some of your clothes and a book."

Aichi sighed as Kai pulled the currents back and brought the bag and the book over to the bed, placing the items on his lap. The cover of the novel had a beautiful illustration of a knight in white armor. He stood confidently in front of a moving army. The look in the knight's blue eyes was keen and the sword face down in the cracked dirt. Aichi brushed his fingertips along the picture and remembered the descriptive words that the author used to describe the battle scenes.

Aichi couldn't help but pull the book close. "Thank you for getting me this book, Kai."

Kai watched Aichi stare at the cover. "How many times have you read that?" It was more of an accusation then a question.

A small smile made its way to Aichi's lips as he focused his gaze on the white knight. "I read it a lot. Blaster Blade is my favorite character …"

"Is it because he looks like you, or is it because you can picture yourself being as strong as him?" Kai pointed out, sitting across from him.

A gasp except from the back of Aichi's throat and his eyes widened with shock and realization. He then looked down after concluding that there was a hidden meaning behind what Kai asked.

"I … I know it's childish to have those thoughts, but thinking that I'm strong as Blaster Blade does help me …"

"You do have a chance, Aichi," Kai pointed out again as Aichi gasped, "if you're going to beat this you're going to have to be stronger then you are."

Aichi shifted a little and clutched the book to his chest. He looked down with embarrassment. "I … I know you think I'm weak, but I do want to get stronger …"

"Not in the condition you're in you won't," Kai stated. He got up and walked out. He paused at the door. "I won't let you die. That's a promise." Kai continued to walk out, _and_ _I'm not going to make the same mistake I made with Ren,_ he vowed.

To Be Continued …


	2. Chapter 2

This is Your Fight

Chapter Two

By KellyQ

Aichi closed the book when familiar footsteps reached his ears. He turned his head to see his close friend, Kamui walk in with Emi tagging along behind him. She had a boxed lunch in her arms.

"Hey, bro! Emi made you a fantastic lunch!" Kamui pepped up with a grin on his face.

Emi walked up and placed the box on her brother's lap. "How are you feeling?"

Aichi smiled at the two. "I'm doing just fine. You don't have to worry about me. I'll figure out some way to cope with this."

Kamui bit his lip, wondering if he should just dump out his worry all on Aichi or just be supportive. _I'm_ _going to support him! I know that big bro would like that! _

Emi smiled. "The Doctor said that you'll be able to come home next week! Isn't that great!"

Aichi smiled. He was ready to come home after spending three days in the hospital and being monitored. The rest of his friends came in and out to visit and he liked that, but he wanted to get outdoors and have a real hang out with them.

"Anyway," Emi spoke up, "I'm going to do some shopping for mom. I'll come by and check on you later!" She turned and made her way out. "_**Love you!" **_

"She's worried, bro," Kamui spoke up after a few moment of silence.

Aichi eyed his close friend. "I'm going to be alright, Kamui. I'm strong enough to take this on."

Kamui beamed. "Of course you are. Now I need to get going. I'll come back maybe tomorrow or some time." He turned and walked out, "_**Bye, bro! I'll be thinking about you!" **_

Aichi's expression softened. "Thanks, Kamui …."

He opened his book and started to read a sentence until he heard footsteps coming toward his room again. Aichi closed the book when Shin walked in. He had a book in his arms.

"Hey there, my four-leaf-clover," he chirped, placing the book on the bed. "I brought you another volume of your favorite book!"

Aichi perked up immediately. He placed his book to the side, and pulled the new book to his lap. The cover had Blaster Blade accompanied by another knight in a stand-offish-pose. He had long red hair, and piercing red eyes. He wore all black. Aichi flipped the book over and read the summary. He turned the book over again and opened it. The first few paragraphs caught Aichi's attention. Shin watched with a pleased look on his face as Aichi's expression changed in awe.

"Thanks, Shin. This should keep me busy."

The older man smiled and sat across from him. "The book came in just today and I thought you might like it and it's free."

Aichi looked over at Shin. "Oh. How's Misaki doing?"

"She's doing great. She said that she'll come by later to visit."

Misaki was also one of Aichi's close friends and Shin's niece who helped him at the small bookstore he owned. Misaki had blue-frosted long hair with light blue eyes. She often wore a white blouse and a long dark skirt, or she would wear a tight white shirt under her blue vest and a tight mini skirt.

"I need to get going," Shin spoke up snapping Aichi out of thoughts of the new book. "I'll come by and check on you when I'm not so busy."

Aichi smiled. "Thanks, Shin."

He smile and placed a hand on Aichi's shoulder. "You're going to be just fine, Aichi."

Shin rose to his feet, walked out and came across Taishi pulling Kai down the hallway. Shin stepped out of the way, as he watched them walk into Aichi's room.

"Look who I found, buddy?" Taishi chirped.

"You can let go of my arm," Kai grunted, irritation laced in his voice.

Taishi chuckled nervously and stepped aside as Kai walked over to the bed and noticed the new book in Aichi's lap.

"Do you want to take a look? Shin just dropped this new book off," Aichi offered, picking the novel up and handing it over to Kai. "I just started reading it."

Taishi stepped up, peered over Kai's shoulder, and whistled slowly. "That's intense," he commented after glancing at the cover to read VANGUARD: THE WRATH OF THE AVATARS.

Aichi eyed Kai to notice that he looked troubled when he saw the red-haired knight. Memories of his dead boyfriend—Ren, came to Kai. The knight had the same querulous facial expression as Ren.

"Kai … is there something wrong with the book?" Aichi asked, timidly.

Kai sighed and dropped the book on Aichi's lap, and walked out leaving both Aichi and Taishi confused. A loud sigh came from the back of Taishi's throat.

"It's okay, Taishi. I don't think Kai likes this type stuff anyways," Aichi said, thinking that the reason for his friend's sigh was he was disappointed Kai wasn't _trying_ to be positive toward him in a gloomy situation.

"You respect Kai don't you," Taishi stated.

A blush made its way to Aichi's cheeks, and he shifted a little. A teasing smile appeared on Taishi face. He had a sneaky feeling that they both liked each other—if only Kai didn't close himself up, so he wouldn't get hurt again.

To Be Continued …


	3. Chapter 3

This is Your Fight

Chapter Three

By KellyQ

Shin, Misaki, and Taishi made their way through the hallway to help Aichi pack his stuff and take him home. They were all excited. Shin walked in first, followed by the others. Emi and Kamui were helping Aichi pack some of his clothes and books.

"Are you ready to come home?" Shin asked.

Aichi nodded his head. "Yea…where's Kai?"

A teasing smile made its way to Taishi's lips. "He'll be around later." _I'm hoping that he'll be there when we drop Aichi off. _

Kamui scoffed. "You're wasting time thinking about that cold jerk."

Everyone chuckled nervously, knowing that Kamui had a hard time understanding where Kai was coming from when it came to his choices or behavior.

"I'm ready to go," Aichi said, lightning the mood.

Shin took the two bags from Kamui and Emi and stepped back to make his way out of the room. Emi and Kamui helped Aichi stand and guided him toward the door with Misaki and Taishi close behind. The walk to the van was quiet until they reached it.

"How about I meet you guys there," Taishi spoke up, seeing there was no room for him in the van, and started to make his way by foot.

"Do you need help in, bro?" Kamui asked, opening the side door.

Aichi 'hmmed' a no and started to get his good leg in first, but he started to have difficulty moving his other leg in. Misaki, Kamui, and Emi helped him in as with both Emi and Kamui helped Aichi sit in the back seat before they both sat next to him while Misaki got in the passenger seat.

The ride home was quiet and peaceful. Aichi leaned back and shifted his body so that he was looking out the window watching the scenery blur past. He didn't know that he fell asleep until the humming of the van stopped and the sounds of seatbelts were being unfastened, and Emi was shaking him awake.

Aichi slowly opened his eyes and smiled at the two.

"Hey, bro. We're here," Kamui said softly, helping him unbuckle the seatbelt.

Emi, Shin, and Misaki were already out of the van. Emi and Misaki waited to help Kamui ease Aichi out of the van as Shin got the stuff out of the back and hauled it to the front step.

"Thanks for helping me out you guys," Aichi said, giving his friends is thankful look.

Emi smiled and opened the door, and they all walked in single file and to Aichi's surprise and delight, Kai was sitting on the couch when they entered. Taishi, who was sitting on the other end of the couch watched with hilarity at Aichi's nervous look, but he refrained from laughing.

"Are you going to be okay?" Misaki asked, placing a warm hand on Aichi's shoulder.

"Well," Shin spoke up, breaking the tension in the air, placing the stuff down. "I need to get back to the bookstore. I put a sign saying that Misaki and I were out for lunch. Do you need a ride home, Kamui?"

"Huh? Oh." Kamui snapped out of this thought of staying or leaving. He turned to Aichi. "Are you going to be okay by yourself with _him_?"

For the first time since they had arrived, Kai moved from his spot and walked toward the door. Fidgeting, Aichi slowly turned to watch him walk out.

"Kai …?"

He stopped. "Get some rest, Aichi. I'll come back later, and welcome home."

Kamui watched Aichi closely to see that he wanted Kai to stay and Kamui wasn't going to let Kai's indifference affect Aichi.

"No. I'll go. There's no reason for me stick around when _he's_ here," Kamui riposted. He started to walk out too when Aichi's soft—often timid voice called out to the both of them.

"I … I want both of you to stay!"

Kamui bit his lip, he really wanted to stay and he was about to speak up again, but Kai spoke in his usual monotone.

"I have things to do, Aichi. Now get some rest."

Taishi sighed and walked out, giving everyone an apologetic look, before following his long-term friend down the street.

"Do you still need a ride, Kamui?" Came Shin's voice from the living room

Kamui glared in Kai's direction before walking back into the house to see that Emi and the others had Aichi up to his room, and they were standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Kamui glanced at the stop step and shook his head. "I'm going to stick around just in case Aichi or Emi need anything."

Shin and Misaki nodded their heads and walked out, closing the door. Kamui went upstairs while Emi went to get something to drink from the kitchen. Kamui knocked on Aichi's door and waited for a reply, when he got one, Kamui walked in. Acihi's room was small and clean. The window was the first thing noticeable, the beams of light a soft light in the room. On the right side of the window was a small desk near the wall. The bed was on the left side of the window against the wall. Aichi was sitting at his desk, reading until he turned to see Kamui standing there.

"Hey, Kamui," Aichi acknowledged as he watched his friend walked to the bed and laid down to sprawl out, staring the ceiling.

"Do you need me to keep you company until Kai comes?"

Aichi smiled. "If you want ….But I'm just going to read until I'm ready to fall asleep."

To Be Continued …


	4. Chapter 4

This is Your Fight

Chapter Four

By KellyQ

Aichi slowly became aware that Emi and Kai had entered the living room when Kai's silhouette loomed over him, and a plate of soup and toast were placed on the table. He looked up from his book.

"Oh. Hi guys. Is it time to eat?" Aichi acknowledged.

Four days had passed since his return home, and he was slowly forgetting things, like eating.

Emi smiled. "Yep! Eat up!" she chirped.

Kai watched Aichi put the book on the table and pulled the plate closer and started to eat. Aichi was about to reach for the book, but Kai snatched it out of his reach. It took a moment for Aichi to realize what just happened. He was offended, and the look on his face clearly showed it.

"Why do you have a problem with me reading Vanguard: The Wrath of the Avatars?"

Kai sighed. "The problem I have is that you're not doing anything but fantasizing."

Confusion flashed across Aichi's face, but it didn't stay when the phone rang. Emi (who slipped out of the room moments ago), went to answer it. She came in a second later with a pen in her hand as she went over to the calendar hanging on the wall near the door.

"That was the doctor reminding us that you have physical therapy tomorrow," Emi said, writing down the time.

"Oh! That's right!" Aichi scratched the back of head sheepishly. "I forgot all about that."

Kai sighed and walked around the table to sit next Aichi. _Is he going to read to me? _Aichi thought, watching Kai take the book and opening it.

"Where did you leave off?" Kai asked, shifting the book so that Aichi had a better glance at it.

Aichi scooted closer as his hand soon hovered over the page and pointed second to the last paragraph. Kai nodded his head and skimmed it over. _I can see why Aichi was into the book, _Kai thought, smiling.

"Close your eyes, Aichi …. And picture what I'm going to read to you."

Aichi raised a brow, but he leaned back and did just that. It wasn't long before he was lost in his imagination when Kai started to read. He read until he glanced over to see that Aichi had fallen asleep. Kai took a moment to take in Aichi's appearance for the first time.

Kai closed the book and placed it on the table. He got to his feet, turned and carefully lifted Aichi in his outstretched arms. The first thing Kai realized was how light Aichi was, and he lost a weight. _This isn't good, _Kai thought, watching Aichi, _there's got to be a way to have this removed before it destroys him… _Kai pulled Aichi closer and carried him up the stairs to his room. The door was ajar, so it was easy to push it open with his foot. Kai carried Aichi to his bed and gently laid him down before he turned to walk out.

"Kai …?" came Aichi's soft timid voice. He turned to see that Aichi was awake and sitting up. "Can you come tomorrow?"

Kai sighed. "Get some sleep. I'll be around tomorrow."

Aichi nodded his head and smiled as he laid back down and closed his eyes. Kai walked out and made his way down the steps to be greeted by Aichi's mother, Shizuka.

"Do you have a moment, Ms. Sendou?" Kai asked.

They stared at each other for a moment. Shizuka nodded her head and made her way into the kitchen. Kai follow a second later to see her making a cup of coffee. He sat down and watched her until she walked up with the beverages on the table.

"What can you tell me about the tumor?" Kai finally asked, after watching Shizuka sit across from him.

"It's big enough for the doctor to be hesitating any type of treatment at the moment because of its size."

Kai narrowed his eyes. "How long ago did he deny that?"

"A couple of days ago," Shizuka answered. She had a sad look on her face.

Kai watched her for a moment, taking in her appearance for the first time. They had only met a few times for a brief moment—a short introduction before Aichi left the house. Shizuka had long blue hair that was tied back in a low ponytail and long bangs. She wore a white shirt and blue pants. _Now I see where Aichi got some of who his is, _Kai thought feeling the same vibes he often got when he was around Aichi—respect for another person despite who they were.

"I would like for you to authorize it so I can look at Aichi's medical records. You do that; there might be a chance to save Aichi …" Kai suggested.

Shizuka studied Kai's face (that has that stoned expression most of the time), to see that he looked determined. "Can you come by the hospital during Aichi's appointment …?" Kai nodded his head. "Thank you."

Again, Kai nodded his head, pushed the chair with the back of his legs, before he turned and walked out. He paused to look up at the top of the steps just as he walked out of the house.

Aichi slept the rest of the day until his sister and Kamui woke him up the next morning for his appointment.

"Oh … hi."

Kamui smiled. "Time to wake up, bro," he reminded his friend, helping Aichi sit up with Emi's help. "Your appointment is today."

After breakfast, they helped Aichi into the car. The ride there was only fifteen minutes long; when they got there, Taishi was standing there with a wheelchair in front of him. Emi and Kamui helped Aichi out of the car.

"Is Kai here?" Aichi asked.

A teasing smile made its way to Taishi's lips. "Oh…he's around…"

"I'm going to park the car," Shizuka said, starting the engine.

"Shall we get going?" Taishi asked, patting the chair.

Aichi nodded his head and limped over to the wheelchair and with Taishi and Kamui's help, Aichi sat comfortably in the chair. Taichi wheeled it around, pushed it inside, and parked the wheelchair in the waiting room.

Shizuka walked up a second later. "I'm going to talk to your doctor for a few moments … I'll be back."

They nodded their heads as Shizuka turned and made her way to the doctor's office. Standing outside the door was Kai.

To Be Continued ….


	5. Chapter 5

This is Your Fight

Chapter Five

By KellyQ

Shizuka and Kai stepped out of the way when they saw the doctor walk and open the door for them. He had a vanilla colored folder under his armpit.

"So, you're giving Kai permission to look at Aichi's medical records," He said to Shizuka. Kai bristled at the statement as he narrowed his eyes in the doctor's direction. Aichi's doctor handed the file over to him. "You can see what's going on, but treatments like surgery or chemotherapy will not be the best choice right now."

"Then, what will be the best course of action?" Shizuka tried not to sound bewildered when she asked.

Kai held the x-ray of the tumor in Aichi's head to the light. It was sitting on the right side of the brain. The size of the tumor was a shape of a walnut.

"Doing what he's doing is the best," the doctor answered.

"What about taking it out bits at a time?"

Kai's voice sounded pushy when he asked, and his eyes still fixed on the tumor. The sight of it turned Kai's gut.

"It could be done, but I'll warn you right now that there'll be consequences …"

Kai closed his eyes, carefully slipping the x-ray back into the folder. "I'm sure that Aichi is aware of that," he cut in sharply.

"We should hear what Aichi wants."

Shizuka's voice was solemn. Kai and Aichi's doctor turned to face her to see that she was ready to do anything for her son.

"It wouldn't be fair for us to make the decision for him."

The doctor sighted. "I'll give a phone call for the next appointment, and we'll talk then."

Shizuka rose to her feet and bowed. Kai got up and walked out followed by Shizuka to the room where Aichi was standing in between two bars that he used to support himself as he walked.

"You're doing great, bro!" Kamui cheered.

Emi was standing on the right and Kamui was standing on the left side. Aichi turned his head to see that Kai and Shizuka were watching. Aichi stiffened when his gaze met Kai's. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and before Aichi knew what he was doing, he continued to walk until he was halfway across the room, and a coat of sweat covered his face.

"Aichi!"

Emi dashed forward when she noticed that her brother was staggering. Aichi shook his head, trying to clear his blurry vision, and his head started to pound. Kai stepped up, grabbed a gentle hold of Aichi's wrist, and used his other hand to keep him steady.

"Are you okay, bro?" Kamui asked.

"My head hurts," Aichi whispered.

"I think that's enough for today," the nurse said from the side of the room. She walked up and pushed the wheelchair over to Aichi. Kai helped him sit down. "I'll get you some water and a damp cloth to help with the pain."

Kamui frowned. "Can't you give him Advil?"

He was confused why the nurse wasn't going to give his friend something to relief him of his headache.

"I'll be okay, Kamui," Aichi reassured his friend before glancing at the nurse. "Water and a damp wash cloth will work."

The nurse had long blonde hair that was pushed forward framed her narrow face. Her dark-green eyes held a lot of confidence and power. The outfit she wore was all white and the nametag shined in the light, Kourin.

Kourin nodded her head and walked out. Aichi watched her for a moment before he turned to face Kai.

"I walked by myself … didn't I."

Aichi's voice held hope. He waited for Kai to say something, but he didn't even so move a muscle.

"You did great, bro."

Kamui tried to keep the fret out of his voice, as he placed a hand on Aichi's arm. Kourin walked in with a paper cup, and a damp towel. She handed the items to Aichi, and he eagerly drank the water and washed the sweat off his face.

"Are you sure I can't try one more time?" Aichi asked Kourin.

"You put yourself though enough today," Shizuka said, stepping up. She knelt down, took the wet cloth and started clean behind his ear. Heat rose to Aichi's face as he pulled away.

"Mom!"

Aichi tried to stifle a groan of embarrassment but failed. Shizuka smiled down at her son as she pulled back rose to her feet.

"You should rest, and not over do it," Kourin advised.

Aichi sighed. He had hoped to show Kai that he was strong enough that he was walking without help.

"Thank you for your help today," Shizuka acknowledged, bowing to Kourin.

The others followed suit.

The car ride home was quiet. Emi sat on the passenger seat, and Aichi sat between Kai and Kamui in the back seat. Aichi leaned back and closed his eyes unaware that his body slid toward Kai's direction and leaned lightly against him. Kamui shifted and was going to reposition Aichi so that he wasn't leaning against Kai, but Kai's stoned eyes were watching his every move. Kamui pulled his hands away and sat quietly until they pulled to Aichi's house.

To Be Continued …


	6. Chapter 6

This is Your Fight

Chapter Six

By KellyQ

Aichi opened his eyes and slowly became aware that he was leaning against Kai. Heat rushed to his face as he straightened himself up.

"Sorry, Kai!"

Kai just grunted and opened his side of the car door. He turned and leaned in and without hesitation; he scooped Aichi in his outstretched arms after his seatbelt was unfastened and pulled him out. Unbearable heat made its way to Aichi's face as he failed to keep a surprise yelp from the back of his throat.

"What do you think you're doing, Kai?"

Kamui was confused and he didn't hold back in the anger in his voice. He wasn't going to let Kai hurt his friend.

"Do you have a problem with me helping?"

Kamui looked offended by Kai's statement. Shizuka cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention.

"How about we come inside for some beverages."

The tension in the air decreased when Shizuka suggested some drinks. They followed her inside straight to the Kitchen. Kai and Shizuka helped her son to stand so he could sit down in a chair.

"What do you guys want?" Shizuka asked, making her to the refrigerator.

"I'm fine," Kai said bluntly.

Shizuka nodded her head and opened the fridge to see that they were out of items like, Lemonade, Orange Juice, and Ginger Ale. Kai watched her for a moment and when she turned—their eyes met for a brief moment. She understood what had to be done.

"Emi, Kamui? Can you two go to the store and get some lemonade, Orange Juice, and Organic Ginger Ale?"

"Sure!" Emi chirped

She turned and walked out with Kamui trailing along beside her. Once the two were out of the house, Kai and Shizuka sat down on opposite sides of Aichi.

"Kai and I talked to your doctor and he said that you can have surgery," Shizuka started.

Aichi tilted his head. "I'm fine, mom."

"Do you call losing weight and being forgetful, fine?" A shadow fell across Kai's face and gave Aichi a piercing look. "You're not picturing what's at stake, Aichi!"

Shizuka shot Kai a warning look after she saw her son lower his gaze, sift in his chair, and mutter something neither of them caught.

Kai sighed and got up. "Just think about it." He walked out followed by Shizuka to front the door. Kai opened it and started to walk, but he stopped, feeling a twig of regret that he stared at Aichi with hate. Kai didn't understand why or how Aichi could not think that he was going to die. Just the thought brought back dolor, which Kai hoped he was never going feel again, until now. "Maybe you should talk to him," Kai said, looking at nothing, in particular.

"I know that you mean well," Shizuka said, "but like you said, we'll find some way to save him."

"Sure."

_I want nothing more than to save him;_ Kai thought, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Shizuka studied Kai for a moment and smiled—realizing that he actually cared about Aichi as she watched him walk away. She turned to see her son standing there with a determined look in his eyes.

"I'll do it, mom! I'll have the surgery!"

Shizuka stepped up and hugged Aichi who hugged back. "We'll get through this, Aichi."

Aichi buried his face in his between his mother's breasts. "Yea …"

He had forgotten what it was like to be in her arms—

"Is everything alright?" came Kamui's voice.

Shizuka and Aichi pulled away to see Kamui and Emi standing there, carrying two big bags of groceries. Shizuka stepped up to them and grabbed the bags when Emi yelped with surprise.

"Aichi!"

Kamui and Shizuka turned their heads to see Emi run to her brother, but she didn't make it in time before he fell on his back with a thump.

* * *

Aichi woke up an hour later to realize that the back ached, and his vision was fuzzy when he opened his eyes. He was lying in his own bed. He blinked a few times, and he turned his head to see Kai sitting by his desk, in a chair. Aichi studied his face for the first time. Kai looked so calm with his eyes closed, and his face relaxed. Aichi was so wrapped in his thoughts; he failed to realize that Kai had opened his eyes and was staring at him.

"Are you going to go through the surgery?"

"D-do you think it will be worth it?" Aichi asked.

Kai blinked, having a vague memory of Ren asking the same thing. The two were sitting in the hospital waiting room …

"Kai … what's wrong?" Aichi asked, seeing (for the first time) Kai's expression change a little. Kai blinked again pulling himself out of buried memory when Aichi's voice reached his ears. "Is there something I should know?" Aichi looked uncertain about what Kai's expression meant, or if there was something else he needed to know before he made the actual decision about the surgery.

"You will have a better chance of getting stronger after the surgery," Kai spoke up, getting Aichi's attention.

Hope flashed across Aichi's face and a spark returned in his eyes. It changed to confidence and bravery as he nodded his head. A small smile made its way to Kai's lips. He got up and made his way to the door, but he paused when he heard Aichi's soft voice.

"Thank you ..."

To Be Continued …


	7. Chapter 7

This is Your Fight

Chapter Seven

By KellyQ

A high pitch ringing of a phone brought Aichi back to reality. He blinked a few times to realize that he was sitting on the couch. Kai (who was sitting next to him) had gotten up and walked over to see who called. The caller ID indicated that it was the hospital.

Kai picked up the reserve and put the portable phone to his ear. "Mioshi … Sendou residence, Kai speaking."

**_"Is Shizuka there?" _**

Kai knew from the voice that it was Aichi's nurse, Koran.

"She's not here right now. I'll tell her you called."

**_"Is Aichi there?" _**

Two days had passed, and Aichi continued to decline, forgetting more and more.

Kai sighed. He turned and walked into the living room to see Aichi staring the cover of VANGUARD: THE WRATH OF THE AVATARS Kai was reading a few moments ago.

"Aichi, your nurse is on the phone."

Aichi blinked a few times and smiled as Kai handed the phone over. "Hi, Kourin," Aichi started after putting it to his ear. "Everything is just fine. Yes, I do want the surgery. Next week? What day and time? I'm not sure what my mom's schedule looks like, but I'll tell her, and we'll go from there. Okay. Bye."

Kai watched him for a moment until they both heard the door open and Emi and Shizuka walked into the living room.

"Mom, Kourin called and she said that there was an open spot next week to see the doctor about the surgery."

"That's great! Did she say what day and time?" Shizuka asked, walking up.

Kai wanted to know that too.

"I told her that I don't know what your schedule is," Aichi answered.

"That's okay," Shizuka reassured, taking the phone. "I'll schedule the appointment."

Kai studied her for a moment. Shizuka looked tired, but he could tell that she wasn't going to let the situation get to her. Shizuka turned and walked into the kitchen, putting the phone to her ear. She came back a few moments later, and made her way to the calendar on the wall.

"We have an appointment next week on Tuesday," she informed, writing the schedule down.

Aichi nodded his head. "I .. I am nervous about the surgery, but I do hate having to live with this … forgetting …. and being weak." A shadow loomed over Aichi's face.

Emi watched her brother for a second before they heard the doorbell. Emi turned and made her way and opened the door to see Kamui standing there. He had a blue flower in his hand. Emi blinked a few times when he turned bright red with embarrassment as he handed her the flower with a card.

"H-hare … Emi."

Emi nodded her head and took them. She opened the card to see that it was a beautiful pink card with hearts.

"I also have one for Aichi, too."

Emi's expression softened. "Thanks, Kamui." She paused for a moment, before she flung herself in Kamui's chest, sobbing.

Shizuka dashed to the front door to what got her daughter all worked up. "Emi, what's wrong?" Shizuka asked.

It took Emi a bit to calm down, and when she did, she pulled away from Kamui and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"It pains me to see Aichi like this!" A new set of tears came down her flushed face.

From the living room, Aichi and Kai could hear Emi crying. Aichi slowly got up and limped over the living room, with Kai close behind. "I'm going to be okay, Emi." He started to feel guilty, and he slowly realized that everyone was worried about him.

Kai observed the whole thing. "I'll be right back," he announced, walking toward the door. "Aichi … when I come back, I want to talk to you about some stuff in private."

"Uhh…okay. I'll be waiting."

Kai walked out, made his way toward the park, and sat at his usual spot, on a park bench under a shade of a tree. He sat there until a familiar silhouette overlapped his. Kai slowly looked up to see that it was Taishi.

"What do you want?" Kai grunted. He scooted to the right so that Taishi could sit next to him.

"I bumped into Kamui and Emi earlier, and they told me that you've been real supportive," Taishi exclaimed. "But how is he doing … all I got out of them was _he's_ _doing okay_."

"He looks like hell," Kai said bluntly.

"I'm sure … considering what's going on with him. Has he considered surgery?"

"I got him scheduled for a doctor's appointment to see what type of surgery will work …" Kai's voice trailed off he focused on nothing in particular in the park. Only a few people were milling about, and kids chasing each other.

Taishi studied his childhood friend and patted his back sympathetically. "You're doing a good job, and I'm sure that Aichi will thank you a great deal. He does respect you, you know."

Kai rose to his feet and stuffed his hands into his pockets and started to head out of the park with Taishi close behind.

"Is there a reason why you are following me?" Kai asked, turning to face his friend, his eyes showing announce.

Taishi chuckled nervously. "What's wrong with checking up on Aichi?" he paused for a moment. "I haven't seen since he's been home."

Kai shrugged. "I wasn't going there." Taishi frowned. "I'm going to take care of some things before I head back."

Taishi nodded his head. "Sounds good. I'll see you there."

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

This is your Fight

Chapter Eight

By KellyQ

Aichi blinked a few times, and Taishi raised a brow when they saw Kai walk in, pushing a red and black wheel chair, and a dark strap over his shoulder connected to a black duffle bag hung over his shoulder.

"Are you ready to go?" Kai asked.

Aichi cocked his head to the side with confusion. "Am I supposed to go with you somewhere?"

Kai closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Yeah, I was going to take care of a few things, but I decided that you come with me." He opened his eyes and looked directly at Aichi. "Besides, I need to talk to you about some things in private."

Nervousness and excitement flashed across Aichi's face. "Sure! That sounds like a good idea!" He made his way to the wheelchair with Taishi's help.

"What's going on?" Kamui and Emi emerged from the kitchen to see Kai and Taishi helping Aichi in a wheelchair. "Where are you guys heading?"

"Kai wants me to join him on his errands," Aichi explained.

"We'll come with you!"

"No. I need to talk to Aichi in private," Kai said sharply, giving Kamui a stone expression.

Aichi gave Kamui a reassuring smile before he even had a chance to react. "I'm going to be fine, and I would like to have some alone time with Kai too."

Kamui let out a sigh. "Okay."

"Have him back by dinner, okay?" came Shizuka's from the kitchen.

"I will!"

Kai turned the wheelchair around pushed it out the door.

"Are you sure that it's okay to leave Aichi to Kai?" Kamui asked, after a second of standing there.

A smile made its way to Taishi's lips. "Kai won't let anything happen to Aichi … so we don't need to worry."

* * *

Kai pushed the wheelchair down the streets. On the way, Kai told Aichi they were going to visit a friend, and the first place they were going to go was a flower shop. The doors opened, and they made their way in. Kai continued to push the wheelchair all the way to the front desk. A woman with a side pony-tale stood behind the counter. She wore a black apron over her green dress.

Aichi looked around as fragrances filled the air. There were various flowers: Lilies, Ross, and For-get-me-not. Their colors brightened the store: reds, greens, and yellows were in different sections of the shop. A sound of plastic reached Aichi's ears and he glanced back to the front desk to see Kai turning around with a bouquet of flowers in his arms.

"Do you want me to hold onto them?" Aichi offered his arms out stretched.

Kai stepped up and placed them in Aichi's arms and walked around the wheelchair, and turned it around, making their way out.

"Thanks for dropping by!" the woman called out, before the door closed.

The two made their way toward the park in silence. Aichi frowned. "Kai … what are we doing here?"

"I want to talk to you before we see my … friend … Ren," Kai answered.

They came to a grassy area, shaded by a tall tree. Kai stepped around the wheelchair and walked to the base of the tree. He pulled the bag off and placed on the ground. He plucked out a blanket and shook it out, before he placed down on the dirt. Kai pivoted to see that Aichi had managed (all by himself to get without crushing the flowers) to get up and stand there, holding them carefully in his arms.

Kai raised a brow, but said nothing. Taking the flowers, Kai placed them beside his right side. Then he helped Aichi sit next to him, turned and pulled the bag toward him. Kai pulled out two bananas, one bag of crackers, and two cans of Orange Soda. He opened one up and handed it Aichi.

"Thanks."

They sat in silence for a moment, until Kai pulled out his wallet. "I had a good friend," he started to explain. Kai opened his wallet and pulled a picture of a red haired teen wearing black and red. His eyes held curiosity and innocents.

"Is that your friend … Ren?" Aichi had scooted closer to Kai so he could examine the photo better. Kai averted his gaze from the picture to Aichi. "He's pretty."

Kai shifted and handed the photo over Aichi. "We met in middle school," he continued …

_I walked down the school hallway to the new writing class, my school bag over my shoulder. I stopped in front of the door and took a breath to calm my nerves down. I opened it and stepped into the room. I scanned the room to see a red-haired teen a little older than me looking out the window. He wore a black vest over his long red sleeve shirt and white Jean pants with black tennis shoes. He had a brooding expression upon his face. _

_"Come in!" the teacher said, gesturing at me to walk up to the front of the class. "You must be Toshiki Kai—right?" I nodded my head as I made my way to the front of the classroom, and shook the teacher's hand. "Great! Why don't you sit next to Ren." I let go of his hand and scanned the students to see an empty spot desk before the red-haired teen. "Ren, raise your hand, so that he knows where to sit!" _

_That's Ren? I thought watching him straighten up and stare at me. For a brief moment, our eyes met, and I noticed a spark in his lifeless eyes. He raised his hand and I made my over, and sat down. I pulled out a book by my favorite author called VANGUARD: ARISE MY AVATAR and placed the thick book on the table. The thing I didn't know was that Ren was watching me until lunch._

_ I was sitting under a tree reading until his silhouette overlapping mine. I slowly looked up to see him standing over me with a smile. _

_"What do you want?" I was not thrilled that he interrupted me._

_"Can I join you?" _

_I raised a brow. I had to admit that Ren's voice was soft and strong with an edge of perkiness. The look on his face he had before had changed to full curiosity._

_"I guess." _

_I moved a little and he sat next to me and looked over my shoulder to see what I was reading. _

_"Is that Vanguard: Arise My Avatar? I love that book! I read it four times!" _

_I raised a brow again. "Four times?" I decided to give him my full attention and that was when I noticed how attractive he was. _

_Ren nodded his head vigorously. He was going to say something else, but a rich deep voice that held power and pride with an edge of playfulness, beat him to the punch. _

_"Ren…where are you?" _

_We both looked up to see another teen a little taller than us. His orange headband kept his thick black hair out of his face, reminding me of a short haired lion's mane, including his face that gave an appearance of a young lion, but his slanted green eyes held confidence and kindness. He seemed to be looking for someone. _

_Ren's face lit up as he got to his feet and he waved. "Tatsu, over here!" I closed my book, placed it beside me, and rose to my feet as well. "I made a new friend! Come over here and met him!" _

_Tetsu finally spotted us, made his way over, and raised a brow at either me or Ren—I wasn't sure—all he did was glance from Ren to me. _

_"This is the new student reading Vanguard: Arise My Avatar?" _

_Ren nodded his head, went around me and picked the thick book up to show proof. _

_"What's your name?" _

_Ren smiled, "It's Ren, remember?" _

_"Not you, dummy," Tetsu groaned, gesturing at me, "I meant that guy." _

_I wasn't sure if I was annoyed, but it was clear that Ren wasn't paying attention. _

_Ren taped his chin. "They wrote his name on the board and it was longer than 'that guy'." _

_Tetsu grumbled, "remind me not ask you for anything." He averted his attention to me. "Hey…New guy. What's your name." _

_"It's Kai—Toshiki Kai …" _

Kai pulled out another picture out of his wallet and handed it to Aichi. He gently took it and studied the picture. Kai stood between Ren and Tetsu, but the one thing that caught Aichi's attention was the way Ren and Kai were holding each other.

"You two were close … weren't you …" Aichi murmured, feeling a twinge of sadness. He handed the pictures back. Aichi wanted to hear more, but a gut feeling told him that what happened between Kai and his other two friends wasn't going to be a happy ending, and Aichi never liked sad endings.

To Be Continued …


	9. Chapter 9

This is your Fight

Chapter Nine

By KellyQ

Kai sighed and took a sip of his Orange Soda. "They were the closeted friends I had … being around them made me feel that I can be myself. Tetsu's skill with organization wasn't the best and there was often time's Ren suggested things that didn't make any sense, but I didn't mind. They were my friends. Especially my relationship with Ren … we spent a lot of time with each other. It was either the three of us, or just Ren and me alone …"

_We sat at the kitchen table at my parent's house, playing a simple card game of Go Fish. Our plan beforehand was to go to the park, but we couldn't because it rained the previous night and Tetsu had a bad cold. So, we stayed indoors and played various games: Poker, Solitaire and Go Fish. _

_After five minutes of playing Go Fish, I got up, "I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want anything?" _

_He looked up from his cards, and that's when I noticed that he had a somber expression. "What's wrong?" I sat back down. _

_Ren sighed. He shifted in his chair, placed his left elbow on the table, and put the side of his face in his hand, staring at me intently. It was the first time he gave me that look. The way he was staring at me didn't bother me, it was (now that I noticed it) how quiet he had been the whole time._

_I could tell that it was taking Ren a few moments for him tell me what was bothering him, and when he did, he did not make eye contact with me. "Kai … have you ever thought about your sexual orientation?" _

_Huh? Okay. That was unexpected. Why would he ask me that? Now that I thought about it, we had a delicate talk about the subject just last week after seeing a gay couple feeding each other grapes at the park. _

_I must have spaced out because Ren had gotten up and made his way to the door. I cursed at myself for my actions. The last thing I wanted was for Ren to think that I disrespect how he feels, and I needed to remind him of that. _

_I walked up and stood right in front of him, and placed a comforting hand and on his shoulder. Ren still didn't give me eye contact—and after what seemed like an eternity, he finally did…_

Aichi's soft voice snapped Kai out of his memory. He turned to see Aichi looking at him and it was easy for Kai to read his expression.

"He wanted to know if it troubled me that he started to like guys, and I reassured him."

Aichi nodded his head. He knew how Ren felt. He would lie in bed pondering why he didn't feel anything for girls when he was around them. He felt differently around guys and Aichi came to the conclusion that he liked guys too—and the one he _liked _the most was sitting next to him, Kai—Toshiki Kai.

_Why is Kai telling me about Ren, _Aichi thought. "Um…is Ren okay that you're telling me all this?"

"He wouldn't care one way or another." Kai wanted to get straight to the point why he wanted to share his private life, but he chose to tell Aichi in a fairy tale to help him understand.

Kai's tone was enough to tell Aichi that things are not as they use to be with Kai and Ren.

"D-did you two have a fight?" Aichi hated the idea of friends fighting. He had minor ones with Kamui and the sensation in his gut afterwards made Aichi feel lousy with guilt.

Kai closed his eyes, trying to relax his body. "I tried not to have too many of those with him—especially when he told me about _that_ part of himself. He was relieved that I didn't hate him …"

_"Thanks for not hating me. It wouldn't be right without you in my life," Ren breathed. _

_I arched a brow_ for a second and smiled. "You're still the same old Ren to me. Now quit acting like it's the end of the world … nothing's going to separate us …"

"Nothing did for a long time." Kai finally opened his eyes, coming out of his memory. There were a lot of emotions on Kai's face. "Until one afternoon when I was invited to Tetsu's House for Ren's birthday…"

_I had a small bundle of Hershey's Kiss' in my right hand and a box of new clothes under my left arm. When I got there and knocked, Tetsu wasted no time in opening it and he didn't hesitate to pull me in._

_"Tetsu …? What—" _

_We stopped in the living room to see Ren lying on the couch with a bruise on the side and a tray of (what I assumed was the birthday cake) on its side._

_I immediately dropped my stuff and went to Ren's side. "Tetsu … what happened?" _

_"Stay with him while I clean up the mess …" _

_Sudden anger welled up within me. How could Tetsu be so calm right now? I gave him a look that didn't seem to faze him. _

_"I'm not too sure myself. I was in the kitchen when I heard a clang and when I went to check on him, it looked like he fell." _

_"And you didn't check for anything?" I asked, not fully understanding anything that Tetsu was telling me. _

_"I'm alright," came Ren's meek voice. _

_I looked down to see that Ren was a wake. He sat up slowly, pressing his palm to the right side of his head._

_"I was just a little light headed that's all." _

_Tetsu sighed. "I keep telling you to get your head examined!" _

_Ren cocked the side of his head in confusion and I had to admit that it was cute. "Why would they want to do that? It's not like they'll find anything interesting in there." He paused when he realized the cake on the floor. "Oh well. Who wants a double cheese pizza…?" _

"He seemed fine after that, but I should've known better than to believe that." Kai let out a frustrated sigh. "He started to become depressed a week after his birthday, and it concerned me. He never acted so down before. I tried talking to him, but he would just smile and said, 'don't worry me. I'm alright.'."

Aichi nodded his head. "Maybe he didn't want you to worry about him." Kai grumbled and gave Aichi a quick look. Aichi just put his hands up in defense. "Sorry."

Kai sighed. "I guessed that too, but what worried me the most was what happened to him at my house …"

To Be Continued ….


	10. Chapter 10

This is your Fight

Chapter Ten

By KellyQ

Kai picked up the box of crackers, opened them, and handed one to Aichi before he continued to tell how things ended ….

_I stood there and raised a brow when he came in. He had a duffel bag and he had a smile on his face. _

_"Mind if I stay the night?" _

_I gave him a straight face. I wasn't expecting that. I sighed, "If you want, but I don't know what we could be doing." _

_"No worries. I brought a few Blue-rays we can watch later." _

_I nodded my head and allowed him further in. We made are way into the living room and up the stairs, and that's when I noticed that his balance was off. _

_"Ren … are you okay?" I asked, reaching out to steady him. _

_He paused and turned to give me a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. I'm just a little worn out from getting here as fast I could." I raised a brow again. "What? I like hanging out with you." _

_I shook my head and helped him the rest of the way. Once in my room, he put the bag down beside the bed. He flopped on the bed and sprawled out for a moment until he sat up. He moaned and clutched his head. _

_"Ren …" _

_Ren chuckled. "Don't worry. I sat up too fast." _

_I frowned and studied him for a moment, and that's when I noticed how tired he looked. "Have you scheduled a doctor's appointment? This has been going on for a while." Ren looked uncomfortable and it was the first time it ever showed when I asked him questions about his well-being. "Do you want me to come with you to the emergency room?" I asked, hoping that he didn't have to go alone. _

_Ren sighed. "Fine. But I don't think there's nothing wrong with me..." _

"D-did you encourage him to take any treatment?" Aichi asked, wanting to know. He didn't mean to interrupt, but he concluded that Ren had the same thing: feeling light headed, being tired, and stressed out because his body didn't function properly. Aichi immediately cringed when Kai gave him a piercing glower. "I'm sorry!" his voice came out like a squeak. "I –"

Kai sighed and looked away, closing his eyes. "He had a tumor too, but there wasn't a whole lot that could be done for him …" he paused for a moment trying to collect his thoughts on a memory that haunted him. "It was painful knowing that there wasn't anything I could do for him …"

Aichi watched Kai for a moment and scooted closer to rest his forehead on Kai's shoulder. "I'm sorry …" Aichi's voice was above a whisper. It didn't take much for him to realize what happened to Ren, and he felt a deep pang for Kai.

"That's why …" Kai paused and shifted. Aichi straighten up as Kai turned to face him and touched Aichi's cheek tenderly, "I want you to do whatever it takes to beat this …I lost Ren to cancer … and I don't want to lose you too."

Aichi stared at Kai, his heart pounding hard in his chest. _He has that much faith in me that I'll live through this, _Aichi thought, blushing. "I'll try," he reassured, a determined look slowly made its way to his face. "I'd rather not have this thing in my head either."

Kai smiled and moved his hand away from Aicihi's face. He picked up the trash and walked to the nearest trashcan, leaving Aichi alone. Aichi looked at the flowers and noticed that Kai's wallet with the pictures sticking out, sitting next to the flowers. He took the wallet and realized (when he opened it) there was one more picture. Aichi knew that he shouldn't even see it, but he couldn't keep his eyes off it. It was a picture of Kai kissing Ren. _They did love each other, _Aichi thought. He sighed and put the pictures in an empty slot, and carefully made sure that the wallet was where Kai left it.

Kai came back a few seconds later. He plucked his wallet and put it in his back pocket, and he turned his attention back to Aichi to see that he had a mournful look on his face.

Kai sighed, "Aichi, that was a while back," he tried to reassure.

Aichi nodded his head, "What about Tetsu?"

"We're going to meet up with him at the cemetery," Kai explained, avoiding the question.

Aichi exhaled to calm his nerves as he watched Kai push the wheelchair closer. Then Kai went over to Aichi and knelt beside him, taking a gentle hold of his arm and draping it over his shoulder, carefully helping Aichi stand. It took a moment for Kai to help Aichi into the wheelchair, and once Kai had put everything in his duffel bag, they headed to Cray Cemetery.

* * *

The cemetery was only one block away from the park and it was only four acres with luscious green-cut-grass. The tombstones were a lined horizontally and cobblestones provided a walkway all the way to the other side of the cemetery.

Aichi shivered. He hated the idea of cemeteries. Only one person stood in front of a tombstone; this tombstone stood out among the rest of them with the description: I'M SORRY, REN: R.I.P. The tombstone was put together with brass and copper, giving it a glossy effect. The teen who stood in front of it was Tetsu. His wild black hair had grown out and when he turned, he looked like he was growing a beard on his chin, and along his jaw line. He reminded Aichi of one of those warriors from ancient Japan who fought with honor and pride.

Kai pushed the wheelchair carefully through the cobblestone. Tetsu stepped to the side so that Kai could have some room.

"It's been a while …" Tetsu said, watching his old friend place the flowers in front of the tombstone.

"Sorry that I'm late …"

Tetsu just nodded and eyed Aichi for a moment, "You must be Aichi Sendou."

Aichi only nodded his head. Kai straightened up and stepped back, placing his hand on Aichi's shoulder. "He's an old friend of mine," Kai exclaimed.

Tetsu gave a light nod toward Aichi's direction. "I see …" he turned his attention back to Kai. "Anyways … I need to get going. I have some things to take care of—otherwise I would stay a little longer."

Kai nodded his head and extended his hand to shake Tetsu's. Aichi just watched awkwardly as Tetsu walked to the exit. Kai sighed. He had forgotten how things drifted apart after Ren's death.

"Kai … are you alright?"

"It was a bad idea to come here…" Kai murmured.

Aichi tiled his head in confusion, "Kai …?"

He moved in front of the wheelchair and leaned in and hugged Aichi. "You see … after I lost Ren, I told myself not to love again …"

Aichi's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach at the sound of Kai's voice. He sounded broken when he mentioned his dead boyfriend. However, Aichi's heart also fluttered when Kai said that Aichi helped him heal. Aichi closed his eyes and hugged Kai back, feeling bliss wash over him. It wasn't often that Kai was this affectionate to him, and Aichi was going to take the opportunity to cherish the moment.

"I do _like_ you, Kai …" Aichi murmured without realizing that he empathized how he felt. "If you didn't give me faith in myself … I wouldn't be the person I am right now."

Kai pulled back just enough to be inches away from Aichi's face. They stared at each other before Aichi leaned up and kissed Kai on the lips. When Aichi pulled back Kai had a smile on his face and it was the first time Aichi could read Kai's expression, and he felt the same way.

"We should be getting back," Kai murmured.

Aichi nodded his head in agreement.

The rest of the day past uneventfully for Aichi after Kai brought him home. Mrs. Sendou made enough dinner for everyone, including Kai (who decided to stay). The meal consisted of a Caesar Salad, a big plate of sandwiches, and chips. Not much conversation was made around the table.

After dinner, Kai scooped Aichi in his out stretched arms, carried him to his room, and helped him sit on his bed. Then Kai helped Aichi into his Pajamas and told him to scoot over before he pulled the covers back. Aichi blushed but nodded his head and scooted until his back was touching the wall as Kai took his pants off, and slipped into the bed and pulled the covers up for the both of them.

Aichi timidly scooted closer and wrapped his arms around Kai. They both self-consciously held each other close before falling asleep in each other's arms.

To Be Continued …


	11. Chapter 11

This is Your Fight

Chapter Eleven

By KellyQ

Tuesday came a little quicker than expected and Shizuka, Emi, and Aichi's friends came with him to the Doctor's appointment. Kamui eyed his nervous friend and placed a comforting hand on Aichi's shoulder.

"I'm here for you bro."

Shizuka stood behind Aichi's wheelchair as Kamui and Kai stood on either side. The others sat in separate chairs waiting. Aichi sighed. He couldn't deny that it was nice to have supportive friends. It didn't take long before the nurse, Koran to walk up saying that the Doctor was ready to see him.

Aichi bit his lip, hoping that if the others just waited, and only his mom, Emi and Kai come into the Doctor's office, it would make him feel better. He knew that they were just as nervous as he was, and he didn't want to worry them anymore than they were.

"Is it alright if the rest of you guys stay?"

"Who do you want to come with you?" Kamui asked.

"I was thinking of only having my mom, Emi and Kai, if that's okay," Aichi answered.

Disappointment flashed across Kamui's face and he gave Kai a warning glance. Emi placed a warm hand on Kamui's shoulder. Her soft touch seemed to calm him down when he saw her reassuring look.

"It's going to be okay," Aichi spoke up, also giving his best friend a reassuring looking as well.

Kamui sighed and stepped back and watched Shizuka push the wheelchair down the hallway.

* * *

The Doctor's office was off to the corner of a narrow hallway. Koran opened the door and made her way over to the far corner of the room. Shizuka pushed the wheelchair in with Kai and Emi following behind. Kai and Shizuka helped Aichi on the examination table.

"How are you feeling?" Koran asked, starting to check on Aichi's blood pressure, ears, and heart.

"I've been better," he muttered.

Koran nodded her head and wrote the status down on a clipboard. "Your actual Doctor is not in today," she said. "He's sick—so Suiko is going to talk—" Koran paused when the door opened a tall beautiful woman walked in. "She'll talk to you about what might be the best choice right now." Koran turned and walked out closing the door behind her.

Suiko had light blue hair. Her bangs parted to the left as the rest of it framed her face. Her deep blue eyes held a lot of compassion, innocence and knowledge. Suiko wore a long yellow scarf around her neck. The outfit she had on was a white lab coat over her blue shirt, and dark blue pants with matching blue shoes.

Aichi, Shizuka and Emi had to admit that she was beautiful. Kai on the other hand narrowed his eyes at her.

"It's good to see you, Kai," Suiko spoke up, ignoring his heated gaze.

"You know her?" Aichi, Shizuka and Emi asked at once glancing at Kai.

Aichi cringed and the vibes in the room became intense. Shizuka and Emi didn't like the way Kai was staring at Suiko either, and glanced back at her. Kai's expression held hate and betrayal, but she was unfazed by it.

"Yea. I know her. She was Ren's Doctor before he passed a way," Kai answered. Emi and Shizuka glanced at each other, wondering what Kai was talking about. There was so much bitterness and venom in his voice.

"Kai …?" Aichi uttered, feeling nervous. He didn't like the tension radiated off Kai's body. It was stifling. Aichi reached out to Kai's arm, but he pulled it away and gestured that he didn't want to be comforted at the moment.

Suiko easily ignored Kai and started to check Aichi over, writing things down. "Your Doctor said that you want to have treatment …"

"Aichi has already made a decision that he wants to have surgery," Kai cut in. He wasn't going to let Suiko's silky words influence Aichi into making a bad decision.

"I'm sorry for what happened to Ren—but you should let Aichi speak for himself," Suiko warned. She wasn't in the mood to deal with his anger. It was clear that Kai hadn't forgiven her for the care she provided for Ren.

"Don't—"

Suiko held up her hand to silence him and returned her attention back to Aichi, but he was more focused on Kai.

"Don't worry, Kai—" he paused and turned his attention to Suiko. He had a determined expression. "I want to take the surgery."

"You sure?"

Aichi nodded his head.

"Very well." Suiko pulled back and stood up. "You'll either get a call or a letter from the hospital saying what time the surgery is."

Aichi nodded his head. Emi jumped up from where she was sitting and said that she was going to tell the others the great news. Shizuka followed Suiko out with Emi close behind, leaving Aichi and Kai alone.

"Kai …? Are you okay?" Aichi asked, feeling Kai's anxiety. He felt a deep pang for him.

"I'm fine." Kai than helped Aichi into his wheelchair, opened the door and pushed the wheelchair to the waiting room. Kamui was the first to run up and hugged Aichi.

"I'm excited for you, bro! You'll be free from torment!"

Kai watched for a moment before he backed away from everyone and started to make his way to the door.

"Kai …? Where are you going?" Aichi asked. He was the first to notice that he was leaving. The others paused and glanced toward the door.

Kai stopped in mid stride. "I just need some space right now, Aichi. I'll be back later."

Aichi nodded his head as Kai walked out.

"Am I missing something?" Kamui asked.

Aichi looked down, deep in thought—the pang returning. Taishi had eyed the situation for a moment.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" he asked Aichi.

A sad smile made its way to Acihi's lips as he made eye contact with the others. "We should let Kai have some space."

"You didn't ask him what was bothering him before he walked out?" Kamui asked, surprised.

Aichi bit his lip. He wanted to tell the others what he knew about Kai's loss, but he knew that would cause problems. _But Kai doesn't have to keep on suffering. Ren is at peace now. _That thought lingered in his mind all the way home and half way through dinner until Kamui (who decided to stay) put his fork down.

"Alright, bro! Something's bothering you—now spill," Kamui urged. He was starting to get tired of seeing Aichi depressed, when he was going to be free from the tumor and recover from it.

Aichi looked down at his plate. "I'm just worried about Kai …"

Kamui frowned. "Why? It's not like he's suffering or something."

"That's not it," Aichi said, choosing his words carefully, looking up. "He has a lot on his mind—and I don't want him to think that his help has been a waste." _And he needs to be reassured—and I need to apologize for putting him through so much. _

* * *

After dinner, Kai came and carried Aichi to his room. Kai changed first in the bathroom and came back to help Aichi change.

"I'm really sorry that I put you through so much, Kai," Aichi murmured.

"Don't worry about it," Kai reassured, helping Aichi into his PJ's. "I just haven't forgiven myself and Suiko for not saving Ren."

"You loved—"

Kai placed a finger on Aichi's lips to silence him. "I _did _love Ren—" he said, emphasizing how he felt about his dead boyfriend. "But it doesn't mean that I can't start over again—" by this point, Kai moved his hand along Aichi's jaw line.

Aichi stared at Kai—his face bright red. "Y-you _really_ want to go out with me?"

Kai felt a little irritated that Aichi's response ruined the mood, but he couldn't help but smile. He always thought there was something unique about Aichi. Maybe it was his pure heart, or the fact that Kai knew that Aichi could do anything he wanted—all he needed was confidence in himself.

Aichi, on the other hand, felt his pulse racing. He never thought that Kai was actually willing to do it.

"I'll try and be a good boyfriend," Aichi murmured.

"Scoot over and don't worry about it," Kai grumbled, gesturing for Aichi to move to the other side of the bed.

Aichi nodded his head and he moved until his back faced the wall. Kai crawled in next and pulled Aichi close.

"Thanks Kai …" Aichi murmured in Kai's chest, feeling bliss, warmth and tiredness take over as he fell asleep.

To Be Continued …


	12. Chapter 12

This is Your Fight

Chapter Twelve

By KellyQ

_Aichi stood in an open meadow that stretched out for miles. Many types of flowers danced, bobbed, and quivered in the wind. Aichi couldn't identify what type of flowers, but he didn't care, he thought the landscape was beautiful. Aichi closed his eyes, taking in the cool sweet air. He opened his eyes and started to walk. _

_Aichi didn't get as far as a mile when he saw a figure in the distance. What caught Aichi's attention was red hair. His first thought was Ren as the person came closer. Aichi stopped and his eyes widened—it was Ren. Pure nervousness griped Aichi's heart. He had no idea what was going on. All Aichi knew was that he had somehow connected with Ren. _

_That thought confused Aichi. They didn't know each other, so what could be the reason? Ren came into full view now and Aichi just stared—taking in Ren's full appearance. He had cherry-red eyes that held curiosity. Ren's hair was shaggy and un-kept. The outfit he wore was a white long gown, but his smile was sad. _

_"Y-you must be, Ren," Aichi breathed. _

_"And you must be Aichi. Kai spoke of you often," Ren started. A light blush made its way to Aichi's cheeks at the notion. "I wanted to meet you too, but I was too sick to even do that." _

_"K-Kai told me what happened," Aichi stuttered, growing nervous. "I'm sorry."_

_Ren shrugged it off. "It doesn't matter now. Things just happen, you know?" he paused for a moment before he continued his ramble. "I'm glad that Kai chose you—you're a sweet guy, considering that he needs to move on and not mope over what happened to me." _

_"He is trying to…but he still has feelings for you." _

_"Maybe …" _

_Aichi frowned, "I don't understand. He said that you two were a couple."_

_Ren sighed and turned to walk a few feet away, and sat down. "Things weren't the same after Kai found out that I was suffering from cancer—especially when I told him how long I've had it …" _

_"Why would you keep it a secret for so long?" Aichi demanded, feeling sudden anger rise. He was now standing next Ren, staring down at him with confusion, "he was crushed when you died!" _

_"It's not that I didn't trust him to give me support—I knew that I wasn't going to live very long," Ren explained. "I tried to veer him away so that he wouldn't feel a whole in his heart after I left …" Ren paused again and glanced up Aichi, "but he just clung on to hope that I would get better…" There was light bitterness in Ren's voice, "until he said that he met a soft-spoken boy named Aichi. He had a lot to say about you, and they were good things." Ren smiled at him. "I asked him to give me a description of you and you're exactly the way Kai described you—but I didn't suspect you to be this cute." Aichi blushed and chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry. Did I make you feel a little uneasy?" Ren noticed. _

_"Just a little …" Aichi murmured, not making eye contact. He knew he shouldn't feel this way around Ren, when he should take the opportunity to get to know him. Kai loved him after all, Aichi thought. _

_"I do have a knack of doing that to people," Ren spoke up snapping Aichi out of this thought. "Kai was the only one who didn't seem to be bothered of my actions." _

_Aichi decided to sit next to Ren, "Kai did love you …" _

_"He also liked you," Ren pointed out, "when he mentioned you … I knew that something had clicked—like he cared about you just as much as he did for me. I tried to get him to pay more attention to you than me, but it wasn't easy … he kept on telling me that he wasn't interested. I knew that he was lying to himself …" he paused again, "I do have a question though … do you love Kai?" _

_"Yes. I do." _

_Ren smiled. "I know you do …" he paused for the third time, "and make sure you get well, okay? You have a much better chance surviving than I did." _

_Aichi nodded his head …_

Slowly, Aichi became aware that someone was shaking him. He opened his eyes to realize that he was in his own bed, and Emi was the one shaking him a wake.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," she urged. Aichi turned his head to see his sister. "Whenever you're ready, come down for dinner."

Aichi nodded his head and sat up, watching Emi walk out. He sat there for a moment, remembering how vivid the dream was.

"Are you ready to come down?" came Kai's voice from the doorway. Aichi turned to see him stand there for a moment as he studied Kai for a moment. "Did you have a bad dream or something?" Kai asked. He walked up and sat down.

"Ren was in my dream …," Aichi murmured. He made sure he was looking down. Aichi didn't want to meet Kai's gaze, because he knew that Kai wasn't going to like what he was going to share. _Especially when he finds out that Ren sacrificed everything … _Aichi thought. "We had a talk…" he started in a soft voice. "And he had a lot to say …"

A sigh except from the back of Kai's throat, "he did that a lot."

Aichi looked up to see that Kai had a calm face, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "He didn't say anything hateful about you at all!" Aichi quickly said, assuming that the expression in Kai's eyes meant that Ren was accusing him for not giving him enough support. "Ren just said that he wants you to stop blaming yourself for what happened to him and move on. I told him that you are trying though."

Kai closed his eyes for a moment. Aichi took this as a sign that Kai was trying to ignore his own feelings. Aichi reached out, pulled Kai close, and rubbed his back.

"Ren's okay now, Kai," Aichi murmured in a reassuring voice, "he looked happy when we talked…"

It took a moment for Kai to find his voice, and when he did, there was a lump in his throat. "H-he was?"

Aichi nodded his head, trying to refrain from crying too, "he also wants you to be happy because you have me now …" Aichi had straightened himself and Kai so that they were eye level by this point.

All Kai could do was nod his head. He had no idea that Ren felt that way, even after his death.

To Be Continued …


	13. Chapter 13

This is Your Fight

Chapter 13

By Kellyq

Aichi laid nervously on the hospital bed, watching the nurses hook him up to some IVs and asking him if he was allergic to any medications. Aichi shook his head as he bit his lip. Once the nurses were done, Aichi was left alone for a moment until Kourin pulled the curtains back to make one last check.

"Umm … Kourin …?" Aichi asked, watching the blond nurse, "can you let Kai come back here…?"

"I'll see what I can do …"

Aichi nodded his head. He knew it wasn't allowed, but he wanted to see Kai before he went into surgery, but the O.R wasn't ready for him yet. A smile made its way to Aichi's face at the thought of seeing him, even though they were with each other just fifteen minutes ago.

Aichi didn't have to wait long. Familiar footsteps reached his ears, and Kai's silhouette came into view. He pulled the curtains back and stepped in with VANGUARD: WRATH OF THE AVATARS book under his arm. Kai put the book down on the table, and they hugged. Aichi's nerves relaxed at Kai's hold.

"You're going to do fine," Kai murmured, feeling Aichi's body melt under his gentle touch, "just picture yourself free from torment, just like Blaster Blade in the book."

"Oh, that's right," Aichi murmured back, letting Kai go so that he could sit across from him, "he was held captive for quite a long time …"

Kai nodded his head, took the book and opened it. He was about to move the bookmark out of the way when Kourin walked in, moving the curtains fully out of the way.

"That's good you found Aichi, but they're ready for him," she informed.

Kai nodded his head, closed the book and got up. Kourin smiled as she watched Kai kiss Aichi on the forehead, before he left. She stepped to the right side of the gurney and pulled the safety bars up, and repeated the same action on the left side.

"Are you ready?"

Aichi nodded his head, "a little nervous, but I am ready."

Kourin smiled at him. She had to admit that Aichi was cute and brave for taking some risks.

* * *

Kamui and the others looked up when Kai walked into the room and sat down.

"Is he finally in?" He asked. Kai nodded his head. Kamui studied him for a moment, and a small smile made its way to his lips. "I do have to give you credit for giving Aichi courage to take the surgery."

Kai grunted in response. He didn't think he did all too much, but gave Aichi some advice.

Taishi smiled too. "Of course," he teased, "it's only natural for two lovers to support each other, right?"

Kai scrunched his face with irritation. "Taishi …" he warned.

Taishi couldn't help but laugh, "Oh come on, Kai. I don't think anyone will think less of you—" he eyed Kamui, Aichi's mother and his little sister, Shin and Misaki. "Right?"

Kai knew that, but he was more thinking about how Aichi would feel about the others perspective. And that was something Kai knew Aichi had to work on, and that was not to worry about how the others would react, considering Kamui and the others seemed to know how Aichi felt about Kai.

"Well," Kamui said, trying to get himself confortable, "We're going to be here for awhile—" he paused for a moment and let his attention to the book on Kai's lap. "Can you read us a chapter from the book?"

Kai blinked, wondering why Kamui had suddenly became interested in the book.

"That's a good idea," Emi peeped, sliding off the chair. "I'll see if we can have a room, so we don't disturb the other people waiting." She walked over the receptionist's desk. Emi smiled and turned with the lady walking from behind the desk. The receptionist followed Emi to where the others were sitting.

"Follow me." The receptionist gestured for Kai, Kamui, Shizuka, Shin, Misaki, and Emi to follow her down the hallway and into room that could hold more than three people. It was then they realized that it was an office with two computers on the table.

"You may stay here until Kourin comes in with some news of Aichi."

"Thanks!" Emi chirped.

* * *

Kai read until there was a knock at the door. They hadn't realized that three whole hours went by. Kai couldn't help but give Emi small glance of recondition for the idea to pass the time. He watched her open the door and Kourin walked in. Everyone held their breath, but the look on her face reassured them.

"The surgery was a success, and the tumor didn't leave too much damage—he'll be weak, but physical therapy will help with that," she explained.

Kamui and Emi hugged. Misaki hugged Shizuka. Shin nodded his head as a proud smile made it's way to his lips. He knew Aichi would pull through. And Kai closed his eyes, shut the book before he rose to his feet and putting it under his arm. _You pictured it, Aichi_—_I'm proud of you. _

"When can we see him?" Shizuka asked after pulling away from Misaki.

Kourin smiled. "When he wakes up I'll let you know—but I'm sure he'll be asking for you when he wakes up," she said her eyes fixed on Kai's.

* * *

Aichi opened his eyes feeling lightheaded and disoriented. He also felt weak down his leg that he couldn't use properly. Aichi's first thought was that the surgery was successful. He glanced around the room to realize that he was in the recovery room.

"How are you feeling?"

Aichi turned his head to see Kourin and Suiko standing on other side of him.

"I—" he tried to say, realizing that his voice was raw from having a breathing tube down his throat.

"I'm not supposed to give you any, but I'll get you some water."

Suiko turned and moved the curtains to the side and walked out, leaving the two alone.

"You did well during your surgery, Aichi. You had a little difficulty breathing, but nothing major."

"Will I able to get my full strength back in my leg?" He asked his voice above a whisper.

Kourin shook her head, "your leg will always be weak, but the tumor didn't leave any other serious damage to you." She paused for a moment. "Enough about that. The others want to see you."

Aichi nodded his head. "I want to see Kai …"

Kourin smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

She turned and moved the curtains away to get Kai. A few moments later he came in and moved the curtains aside and was welcomed to the sight of Aichi's the right side of his head shaved off (that happened during pre-op). He didn't look attractive at the moment, but Kai didn't care, he was thankful that Aichi was free from torment.

Kai sighed and reached out to stoke Aichi's cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak, otherwise, I'm all right."

The curtains pulled back right then and Suiko walked to the right side of the bed with a cup of water. She handed the cup to Aichi who drank it slowly. "You're going to feel lightheaded and nauseated for a few days." She started to check his vital signs and wrote them down on a clipboard in her hand. "I'm going to have you stay the night to make sure you don't have any swelling or bleeding."

They both nodded their heads as Suiko walked out, leaving them alone.

"Will you stay with me?" Aichi asked meekly.

A thunder of hurried footsteps could be heard right then and the others came in, crowding around the bed, talking all at once. Aichi moaned feeling a headache coming on. He wasn't quite sure if it was because of all the lights, people talking, or the fact that things were happening all at once.

Emi was the first to notice his discomfort and his expression. "Are you okay, Aichi?"

That got everyone to quiet down. Aichi gave them a reassuring smile.

"I'm all right," he reassured, "I just need a lot of rest and my head hurts."

"I'll bring you some extra clothes for you and have Kourin bring you pain meds," Shizuka murmured, kissing her son before she left.

It wasn't long before Kourin walked in with a needle and syringe.

"We should let my brother rest," Emi said, seeing Aichi dozing off.

The others murmured their agreements and walked out. Kai was the only one left in the room. He next to Aichi and rested his head his near Aichi's. .

"Thank you, Kai …"

"We should thank Ren," Kai pointed out, "he was the one who actually brought us together."

Aichi nodded his head. Kai had a point, but Aichi was thanking Kai for giving him the courage to be a stronger person.

The End

_**Epilogue**_

Aichi stood in between two metal bars that he was using them for support when he walked. He started to realize that it was easier to move his leg since he had the surgery.

"You're doing a lot better when you were last week," Kourin observed.

Aichi smiled, "thanks." He glanced at his mom and his sister including his friends. It was then he noticed that Kai wasn't in the room.

"Sorry I'm late."

Aichi craned his head to see Kai standing there with a smile on his face. Aichi's face lit up and before he knew it, he was walking—using the metal bars to help with his balance. Kai walked up, meeting him halfway, pulling him close.

"That's okay, but how did I do?"

"You're doing better and better," Kai murmured.

Aichi nodded his head, "If I keep trying, I'll be able to walk."

Emi smiled and shooed everyone out of the room when she noticed that Kai and Aichi wanted to have a moment to themselves.


End file.
